We pride ourselves on setting our puppies up for success when they are ready for their forever homes. Like many good, responsible breeders, here are just SOME of the things that we do..

Before Puppies Are Born

We breed when we know that we have enough interested and qualified puppy owners.

All of our applicants are considered for a puppy through email, phone and in-person interviews. Our puppies are precious and not just handed out to anyone!

Our dogs are all very healthy, mentally and physically. They are active and playful. We take our dogs health very seriously and would not breed a dog that we thought might not have a difficult pregnancy.

Our dogs (and the dogs we breed to) have their health tests done and their AKC Championships (and are often working on other titles!) before being considered to breed.

We do ultrasounds and x-rays to determine pregnancy and litter size (to reduce the risk of a surprise and to make sure everything is progressing as it should).

Approx one week before puppies are due, I am home 24/7 with my Momma dog. Females are often needy during this time and I want to make sure she is comfortable with extra attention.

After Puppies Are Born

After puppies are whelped (born) I am with them literally 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I sleep right next to the whelping pen for 1-2 weeks, waking up every few hours to make sure Momma is doing okay when she's nursing. Weighing puppies, making sure they are warm enough, getting enough milk, etc. I take my job as "Canine Mid-Wife" very seriously!

Puppies will see the vet for the first time when they are about three days old.

From birth to three weeks the house is pretty quiet, just making sure everyone is thriving and getting what they need. If I need to go anywhere, even for a short trip to the grocery store, I have a puppy-sitter come and sit with the puppies.

A dog's temperament is the product of both nature and nurture. A dog's temperament is never a guarantee. Each puppy is born with a certain genetic predisposition which cannot be changed. But, environment is the other side of the equation. Many things can happen in the dogs life between 10 weeks, through adolescence and even into adulthood. But, here at Shooting Star, we can help to modify these factors to bring out the best in our puppies. For our puppies, this process begins at birth. Every puppy is handled every day. I pick them up, gently put them on their backs, rub their head, necks, bellies, feet, tails... We do Early Neurological Stimulation each day during their first few weeks.

I sent out weekly "update" emails to our future puppy owners. Educating them on what the puppies are going through each week, as well as articles to prepare them for their new arrivals (crate training, house training, helping them find positive reinforcement training facilities, etc).

Each puppy gets a mani-pedi about every three days. Those little toenails grow quickly!

Once the puppies are mobile we start potty training. it's their natural instinct to go potty away from their sleeping area, so this is done quite easily. By the time they go to their homes they are about 80% potty trained.

After about week four we slowly introduce crates to the puppies. By week eight the puppies are all very comfortable with going in their crates.

The puppies will go to the vet once more before they go to their homes for a full vet exam (with notes to go home with them), micro-chipped and their microchip numbers and your information are registered with AKC Reunite.

We register your puppy with the AKC as a litter and individually.

All puppies are on a spay-neuter contract and have a limited AKC registration (means they can do almost all AKC dog sports but cannot be bred).

When they are old enough, the puppies go outside. In the beginning it's just once a day (that's a big day for them!) but by the time they are eight weeks they are going outside multiple times a day (weather dependent). They love it and it helps with potty training!

At about six weeks we have a "puppy party"! Experienced, positive reinforcement dog trainers come over to work with each puppy individually. It's amazing what their little puppy brains can retain! Each puppy is introduced to the clicker, treats, different objects, etc. It's a fun day for everyone!

Each day we present a new object or experience for the puppies as a group and individually. We like to follow the Puppy Culture guidelines.

We encourage puppy visits after the puppies are old enough. Expect to spend 2-3 hours with us for each visit! This is time for us to educate and interview, and time for the puppies to socialize (and eventually fall asleep!).

At about six weeks puppies are all given their adorable little lion haircuts and evaluated for structure.

At about seven weeks puppies are evaluated for personality.

Between seven and eight weeks we match-make and let owners know which puppy has been chosen for them.

We have lengthy contracts that include spaying or neutering your puppy.

Each puppy goes home with a binder packed full of information! Starting off on the right paw, positive training methods and much-much more.

After your puppy goes homeWe consider this a life-long commitment. We also expect that you will keep in contact with us throughout your dog's life. Not only are we invested in your puppy, we want to know how he/she is doing through adulthood and beyond. Mutually, we are here for questions for the duration of your dog's life. Responsible breeding for successful and happy lives together!